Do Not Be Tongue Twisted

For over forty years I was a hardcore Cessationist, but now believe that God can do whatever He wants in any dispensation. The Holy Spirit has not run out of gifts nor was stripped of some by God after the first century or when the Bible was completed. That said, there are manifestations of tongues that are not a biblical expression of the spiritual gift.

This is a quick overview of passages where the word tongues is used in both the Old and New Testaments clearly shows that the term means languages and most of the time it is a human language like German, French, Thai, etc. I have left out the passages that clearly mean the physical tongue or general talking. The list would be far too great to cover otherwise, but they would give further weight to the language argument. The Old Testament term and passages follow below. All Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Strong’s concordance.

* 3956 lashown (law-shone'); or lashon (law-shone'); also (in plural) feminine leshonah (lesh-o-naw'); from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water):

KJV-- + babbler, bay, + evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.

Genesis 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. 

10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. (KJV)

Deuteronomy 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; (KJV)

Psalms 55:9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. (KJV)

Ezra 4:7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. (KJV)

Isaiah 28:9-16

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (KJV)

I found it interesting that a reference to a tongue or language is mentioned in the same discussion as a prophecy of Christ as the chief corner stone. Indeed, the gift of tongues came with the coming of the Holy Spirit after the cornerstone was laid. I also thought of Paul who may well have had a speech impediment that made him stutter. While this was a prophecy of coming captivity for the children of Israel, a secondary reference to Pentecost and Paul may be included. Indeed, a figurative meaning of lashown is a fork of flame as the Spirit appeared in Acts 2. I would not be dogmatic about that, but it is food for thought.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (KJV)

66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (KJV)

I do not believe that any would argue that any of the above uses of the word mean anything else but a language. It is only when we get to the New Testament and to the spiritual gift of tongues that we have great division. Yet, the Greek word is clear. Of the following eighteen passages where the term is used only eight raise a question. One uses the term as a description and the other nine passages use the term as meaning a human language. The ones that are self-explanatory I will not comment on.